Why Vocabulary Instruction Shouldn’t Be Just Word Lists (No More “Copy 5 Times, Please”)
Ah, vocabulary instruction. The noble attempt to teach kids the difference between “benevolent” and “malevolent” without them calling both “kinda boring”.
If you’ve ever handed out a vocabulary list on Monday and watched it return on Friday, copied, misspelled, or suspiciously identical to their neighbor’s, you already know the truth:
Word lists alone aren’t working.
Sure, they look like teaching. You can post them on the board, quiz them on Friday, and even color-code them in your planner. But if your students still don’t know what the words mean, let alone how to use them, you’ve basically created a weekly ritual of academic busywork.
So let’s talk about why vocabulary instruction should go beyond the list, and how to make it actually stick (and date I say, fun?) without needing 300 index cards and the will of a saint.
The Problem With Word Lists (A Love Letter to Copy-Paste Culture)
Let’s be honest, just handing out a list of ten words with directions to “define, write in a sentence, and memorize for Friday” is about as effective as yelling “Study harder!” at a houseplant.
Here’s what often happens:
Students copy definitions they don’t understand
Sentences include things like “I benevolent my dog”
They memorize for the quiz and forget by Monday morning
No one ever uses the words again unless forced at pencil-point
Why? Because words don’t live in isolation. They live in books, conversations, arguments, songs, TikToks, rants about bedtime, and yes, your classroom discussions.
If we want kids to understand and own new vocabulary, we have to stop treating it like a spelling test and start treating it like the foundation of communication that it actually is.
So What Does Good Vocabulary Instruction Look Like?
Glad you asked. Vocabulary instruction should be:
Contextual: real words in real use
Active: think movement, games, actual thinking
Space and spiraled: not “cram it on Thursday, test it on Friday, forget it forever.”
Fun: yes, fun is allowed in education, I checked personally.
Tips to Go Beyond the List (Without Losing Your Sanity)
Use Words in Real Conversations
Start tossing those words into your everyday teacher talk.
“That was a very resourceful solution, Jamal!”
“I admire your perseverance on that math problem, truly commendable!”
They’ll look at you funny the first few times. That’s okay. You’re building a classroom culture of curiosity. Also, they might start using “commendable” to describe their lunch, and honestly? I support it.
Make It a Game, Not a Grind
Play charades with vocabulary words
Create “Would you rather?” questions using vocabulary (“Would you rather be benevolent or audicious on a first date?”)
Try vocabulary bingo, taboo, scavenger hunts, or word of the day challenges
Let students come up with wrongful definitions on purpose and have others guess the real one
If they’re laughing and thinking, they’re learning.
Get Visual and Kinesthetic
Have kids:
Draw cartoons to explain words
Act them out
Create memes or GIFs (yes, appropriate ones, we believe in you)
Build word websites showing connections to synonyms, antonyms, and context
Basically, the more parts of the brain you engage, the less likely that new vocab word will vanish into the void.
Final Thoughts: Words Are Power, Let’s Teach Them That Way
Ultimately, it’s important for kids to know that these words have a place in their vocabulary. Instead of random lists, pull vocabulary from what you’re already reading or teaching, whether it’s a novel, article, video, or science experiment, real-world usage helps cement meaning. Plus, students are way more likely to remember “metamorphosis” if they say it happen to an actual butterfly and not just on a worksheet.
Yo also have to revisit, words shouldn’t stop existing in your classroom once the students have been quizzed on them. You can revisit past vocabulary words with writing prompts, morning messages, exit tickets, and my personal favorite, jokes. Repetition builds retention.
Vocabulary isn’t just something to pass a test. It’s how kids understand their world, express themselves, and make sense of everything from social media to Shakespeare.
If we teach it like a lifeless list, it will be forgotten. But if we teach it with purpose, creativity, and connection, we’re giving students tools they’ll carry with them forever. So go ahead, ditch the tired list routine, keep the words, just teach them like they matter, because they do.
And if you hear a student say “That was a remarkably egregious error, but I will persevere,” congratulations, you’ve won vocabulary!
